


Father's Love

by Half_PintGladiator



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Child Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Gen, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-17 14:49:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11277516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Half_PintGladiator/pseuds/Half_PintGladiator
Summary: Her father's love was toxic; she knew that much. Getting over the damage he had done to her hits a snag when the calendar rolls around to Father's Day.





	Father's Love

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by something someone said to me as I cosplayed Angel: "Remember, your father loved you."   
> I forgot to post this on Father's Day. Whoops.

“Remember, Angel, Daddy loves you.”

Bone saws whined as they cut through her skull, digging perfect channels for the Echo hookups he deemed necessary. 

“Remember, Angel, I Daddy loves you.”

The same words over and over as the glaring halogens burned down on her. As they fitted her for her “protective suit”. As the Eridium pump was grafted onto her. As the deep purple fluid pumped into her, poisoning her. 

“Remember, Daddy loves you.”

His face loomed over her. His real face, not the mask. To her, her father died on Elpis. Probably before that point. Maybe he died along with her mother. 

“Just think, honey, with her power we could do some incredible things.”

“John, she’s our child, I won’t let you use her.”

“It’s not using her if it helps everyone.”

“John, she’s just a child–”

“We have a kid that can practically work freaking miracles, and you don’t want to use that?”

Angel had blocked the rest of the conversation out of her mind. She blocked out the screams, the blinding light. She had meant to calm her father down… But… Young sirens had so little control over themselves.

“Daddy loves you, pumpkin.” 

For several years he spoke those words through gritted teeth. According to him, she looked just like her mother. He had plans to fulfill. He had to become a hero and she was his ticket. 

He came home from the vault on Elpis a changed man. Angel cringed whenever he came near her. His scarred face was full of rage. The mask did not improve matters. It was too smooth, it didn’t move, alienating him even more than the Bunker. 

“I love you.” 

Her senses used to reach out, listening for the cue that would tell her he would appear. The man that used to be her father. The man that had become Jack. She flinched away from Jack any time he came near. She poured all her spare time into creating a perfect replica of a happier life. If she was going to be trapped in his cage, she wanted to at least pretend to be happy. But in that little world, she didn’t have a father. That world held just her, her mom, and her friends… The Vault Hunters. 

–

Angel didn’t realize she was rocking back and forth in her seat. She didn’t realize the lights in the Raiders HQ were flickering and growing dim. She was so caught up in her memories that she completely missed out on all the lights shutting down. Dim grey light lit up the HQ as overburdened emergency lights kicked on. Footsteps approached her room. Her jaw clenched, her knuckles went white from where the clutched at her scalp. 

She couldn’t hear her own hoarse shouts. 

“Ange, whoa, Ange, calm down.”

Angel snapped back into herself. Her breaths came in short, sharp gasps. Her wide, panic-stricken eyes searched her surroundings, trying to find an anchor. Gaige knelt in front of her, palms gently resting on her forearms. The world slowly settled into place. Her breathing grew calm once again. The lights grew brighter. 

“Father’s Day, huh?”

“Y… Yeah.” 

“Y’know, my dad would probably adopt you if you asked him.”

“I think… I’ll be okay.”

“You know we got your back.”

Angel gave a brief nod that barely tipped her chin. Gaige very gently patted her forearm. As she left the room, she paused in the doorway. Angel faked a smile as best as she could. 

She waited out a wave of existential terror. If she bottled her feelings up, would she turn in to him? She curled her fists, letting out a slow breath. She let her fingers trail up to the ports carved into the side of her head. Those would have to go. 

She’d erase his legacy. His so-called love even if it drained her.


End file.
